The Stress Effect: Why Smart Leaders Make Dumb Decisions--And What to Do About It

The ability to make sound and timely decisions is the mark of a good leader. But when leaders with otherwise strong track records suddenly begin making poor decisions-as seen in the recent corporate scandals that rocked the business world-the impact can be widespread. In , leadership expert Henry L. Thompson argues that stress is often the real culprit behind this leadership failure: when leaders' stress levels become sufficiently elevated-whether in the boardroom or on the front line of a manufacturing process-their ability to effectively use their emotional intelligence and cognitive ability in tandem to make wise decisions is significantly impaired. Until now, experts have argued that increasing your emotional intelligence will help you cope with and manage stress. This book suggests that stress actually access to your emotional intelligence as well as your cognitive ability, two critical components in the decision-making process. This book A groundbreaking and insightful resource for leaders, reopens the dialogue on stress, its effect on decision making, and what to do about it.